Contact Center 101: From Telephony to AI-Driven Customer Experience

Customer interaction platforms are undergoing one of the most significant technological transformations in enterprise computing. What began as simple telephone-based call centers has evolved into sophisticated, cloud-native contact center platforms that integrate voice, messaging, artificial intelligence, and real-time analytics.
This session provides an accessible introduction to modern contact center systems while exploring how emerging technologies are redefining customer experience operations. Participants will learn how traditional components such as Automatic Call Distributors (ACD), Interactive Voice Response (IVR), and workforce management systems formed the foundation of the industry, and how these capabilities are now being re-architected in cloud-based Contact Center-as-a-Service (CCaaS) platforms.
The presentation will examine the perspectives of three critical stakeholders—customers, agents, and supervisors—and how modern systems are designed to optimize each experience through omnichannel engagement, intelligent routing, and data-driven insights. The session will also highlight how advances in generative AI, real-time analytics, and automation are enabling enterprises to move from reactive support models toward proactive and personalized service delivery.
Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of how contact centers operate, the technologies that power them, and the emerging trends shaping the next generation of AI-driven customer experience platforms.
Speaker(s): Vikas
Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/545986